Conventionally, connectors such as board to board connectors, etc., have been used to electrically connect pairs of parallel circuit boards together. Such connectors are attached to each mutually facing surface on pairs of circuit boards and mated together so as to be connected. In addition, technology has been proposed in which reinforcing brackets attached to both ends function as locking members to maintain a mated state with the counterpart connector (for example, see Patent Document 1).
FIGS. 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views illustrating a conventional connector. Note that in the drawing, FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating a state before mating, and FIG. 11B is a diagram illustrating a state after mating.
In the drawing, 811 is a first housing serving as a housing of a first connector mounted to a first circuit board (not illustrated), and 911 is a second housing serving as a housing of a second connector mounted to a second circuit board (not illustrated). The first connector and the second connector are mated so that the first circuit board and the second circuit board are electrically connected. Note that in FIG. 11A, the mating face of the first housing 811 faces upward, while the mating face of the second housing 911 faces downward, and in this orientation, the second connector is moved relative to the first connector in the direction indicated by the arrow and mated as illustrated in FIG. 11B.
The first housing 811 includes a recess 812 into which the second housing 911 is inserted, a projection 813 formed in the center of the recess 812, and end wall parts 821 on both ends in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of first terminals 861 are attached to the first housing 811, and a first reinforcing bracket 851 is attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction. The first reinforcing bracket 851 includes an end wall covering part 857 which covers at least a portion of the end wall part 821, a projection covering part 859 which covers at least a portion of the end in the longitudinal direction of the projection 813, and a recess covering part 858 which connects the end wall covering part 857 and the projection covering part 859 and covers at least a portion of the recess 812.
Meanwhile, the second housing 911 includes a projection side part 922 extending in the longitudinal direction and projection end parts 921 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. Further, a plurality of second terminals 961 are attached to the projection side part 922, and a second reinforcing bracket 951 is attached to the projection end parts 921.
As illustrated in FIG. 11B, when the first connector and the second connector are mated, the corresponding first terminal 861 and second terminal 961 come into contact with one another. As a result, the first circuit board and the second circuit board are electrically connected. In addition, the second housing 911 is inserted into the recess 812 of the first housing 811 so that the second reinforcing bracket 951 engages with the first reinforcing bracket 851. Note that when the second housing 911 is inserted into the recess 812 of the first housing 811, the second reinforcing bracket may impinge on the end in the longitudinal direction of the projection 813, but the projection cover part 859 of the first reinforcing bracket 851 covers at least a portion of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the projection 813, so the end in the longitudinal direction of the projection 813 is protected.
Patent Document: Patent Document 1: JP 2016-195057 A